1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to recreational vehicles and, in particular, relates to a movable bed on a slideout that increases the living quarter space inside the recreational vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recreational vehicles (RVs) provide users with comforts and amenities of a home while travelling. While the sizes and levels of amenities vary, RVs have limitations on overall dimensions dictated by vehicle codes. As a result, living quarter space is at a premium and floor plans of RVs need to be carefully designed to optimize the use of the available space.
One popular method of increasing the living quarter space in the RV is to use one or more slideouts. Once the RV is stationary and secured, the slideout extends out, usually laterally, so as to increase the size of the volume of the living quarter space. The slideout can be actuated in a variety of manner, and can substantially increase the usable space inside the RV.
In many instances, the slideout is interconnected to a piece of furnishing such that the furnishing moves with the slideout. One such furniture that may move with the slideout is a bed in a bedroom. The bed is typically fixedly coupled to a mechanism that actuates the slideout. Because of such a fixed coupling, the manner in which the bed is arranged in the bedroom or how far the slideout can extend are often limited. For example, designers of the RV may wish to provide sufficient spaces next to different sides of the bed when the slideout is in the extended configuration. Given such a requirement, and because the bed is fixedly coupled to the slideout, the bed may move too close to the side opposite from the slideout when the slideout retracts. Thus the bed may be cramped to one side of the bedroom when the slideout is in the retracted configuration.
From the foregoing, there is a need for an improved system that couples furniture in an RV to a slideout. There is a need for an improved bedroom slideout that couples to the bed in an improved manner.
The aforementioned needs are satisfied by one aspect of the invention that relates to a recreational vehicle comprising a chassis adapted for rolling movement over a ground, and a main housing attached to the chassis. The housing defines an interior living space for the recreational vehicle and includes two side walls and a front and a rear wall. The recreational vehicle further comprises an extendable housing movably mounted in a first side wall of the main housing. The extendable housing has an exterior side wall that is substantially parallel to the first side wall of the main housing. The extendable housing is movable between a retracted position where the exterior side wall of the extendable housing is positioned proximate the first side wall of the main housing, and an extended position where the extendable housing extends out from the first side wall of the main housing so as to increase the living space of the main housing. The recreational vehicle further comprises a bed having two sides, a head and a foot that define a longitudinal axis of the bed, where the bed is mounted within the housing such that the longitudinal axis of the bed is generally parallel to the side walls. The recreational vehicle further comprises a movement mechanism that mechanically couples the bed to the extendable housing. When the extendable housing is moved from the retracted position into the extended position, the longitudinal axis of the bed is moved laterally in the direction of travel of the extendable housing.
In one embodiment, the main housing defines a bedroom with the bed positioned therein. The longitudinal axis of the bed is generally centered in an area defined by the main housing and the extendable housing when the extendable housing is in the extended position. The orientation of the bed when the extendable housing is in the extended position is selected so as to provide spaces between the sides of the bed and their respective side walls of the main housing and the extended housing. The spaces facilitate easy access to both sides of the bed. The longitudinal axis of the bed is generally centered in an area defined by the main housing and the extendable housing when the extendable housing is in the retracted position. The centering of the bed in the area defined by the main housing and the retracted extendable housing facilitates similar access to both sides of the bed.
In one embodiment, the movement mechanism comprises a carriage that moves the extendable housing. The movement mechanism further comprises a latching member attached to the carriage, with the latching member adapted to engage the bed at selected instances thereby allowing the bed to move with the extendable housing when the latching member is engaged with the bed. The bed defines at least one catch adapted to receive the latching member. The latching member engaging the catch couples the bed and the extendable housing and the latching member disengaging from the catch uncouples the bed and the extendable housing.
In another embodiment, the movement mechanism comprises a carriage that moves the extendable housing. The movement mechanism further comprises a rod member attached to the carriage and extending laterally, with the rod member adapted to engage the bed at selected instances thereby allowing the bed to move with the extendable housing when the rod member is engaged with the bed. The bed defines a latching member adapted to couple to the rod member at selected instances as the rod member moves laterally. The latching member defines an aperture dimensioned to allow the rod member to extend therethrough. The movement mechanism further comprises a first and a second movement limiter attached to the rod member at selected locations such that the first and second limiters limit the relative motion of rod member with the bed. The first and second limiters are positioned so as to allow the bed to be generally centered laterally when the extendable housing is retracted and when the extendable housing is extended.
In one embodiment of the recreational vehicle, the main housing defines a bedroom with the bed positioned therein. The extendable housing is positioned in the first side wall laterally adjacent the bedroom. The recreational vehicle further comprises a closet that is positioned within the extendable housing. The movement mechanism couples the bed to the extendable housing such that when the extendable housing is in the retracted position, one side of the bed and the closet define a first space that is accessible by an occupant, and the other side of the bed is adjacent the side wall opposite from the first side wall. The movement mechanism couples the bed to the extendable housing such that when the extendable housing is in the extended position, one side of the bed and the closet define a first extended space and the other side of the bed and the side wall opposite from the first side wall define a second extended space. Both the first and second extended spaces are dimensioned to be accessible by the occupant.
In one embodiment, the movement mechanism comprises a carriage that moves the extendable housing. The movement mechanism further comprises a cog that is attached to the carriage and extends into a laterally extending slot defined by the underside of the bed. The slot has a first and a second end and is dimensioned with respect to the cog such that the cog can move laterally between the first and second ends without moving the bed. The movement mechanism further comprises rollers attached to the bottom of the bed to allow lateral rolling motion of the bed when the bed is urged to move laterally by the cog engaging and pushing against one of the ends of the slot.
In one embodiment, the recreational vehicle is a motorhome. In another embodiment, the recreational vehicle is a fifth-wheel trailer. One embodiment of the fifth-wheel trailer includes an upper level and a lower level and a slideout that covers portions of the upper and lower levels and where the bedroom is located on the upper level.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a recreational vehicle comprising a chassis adapted for rolling movement over a ground and a housing attached to the chassis. The housing defines an interior living space and includes two side walls that extend along a longitudinal axis of the housing. A portion of the housing defines a bedroom. The recreational vehicle further comprises an extendable housing that is attached to one of the side walls of the housing at a location adjacent the bedroom, where the extendable housing increases the width of the bedroom. The recreational vehicle further comprises a bed having a longitudinal axis positioned within the bedroom such that the longitudinal axis of the bed is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing. The bed is movable by being coupled to the extendable housing so as to move in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing in response to movement of the extendable housing.
In one embodiment, the recreational vehicle further comprises a movement mechanism that mechanically couples the bed to the extendable housing such that when the extendable housing is moved from a retracted position into an extended position, the longitudinal axis of the bed is moved laterally in the direction of travel of the extendable housing. The orientation of the bed when the extendable housing is in the extended position is selected such that the bed is centered laterally within the bedroom. The orientation of the bed when the extendable housing is in the retracted position is selected such that the bed is centered laterally within the bedroom.
In one embodiment, the movement mechanism comprises a carriage that moves the extendable housing. The movement mechanism further comprises a latching member attached to the carriage, with the latching member adapted to engage the bed at selected instances thereby allowing the bed to move with the extendable housing when the latching member is engaged with the bed. The bed defines at least one catch adapted to receive the latching member, where the latching member engaging the catch couples the bed and the extendable housing, and where the latching member disengaging from the catch uncouples the bed and the extendable housing.
In one embodiment, the movement mechanism comprises a carriage that moves the extendable housing where the movement mechanism further comprises a rod member attached to the carriage and extending laterally, with the rod member adapted to engage the bed at selected instances thereby allowing the bed to move with the extendable housing when the rod member is engaged with the bed. The bed defines a latching member adapted to couple to the rod member at selected instances as the rod member moves laterally. The latching member defines an aperture dimensioned to allow the rod member to extend therethrough. The movement mechanism further comprises a first and a second movement limiter attached to the rod member at selected locations such that the first and second limiters limit the relative motion of rod member with the bed. The first and second limiters are positioned so as to allow the bed to be generally centered laterally when the extendable housing is retracted and when the extendable housing is extended.
In one embodiment, the recreational vehicle further comprises a closet that is positioned within the extendable housing adjacent the bedroom. The movement mechanism couples the bed to, the extendable housing such that when the extendable housing is in the retracted position, one side of the bed and the closet define a first space that is accessible by an occupant, and the other side of the bed is adjacent the side wall opposite from the first side wall. The movement mechanism couples the bed to the extendable housing such that when the extendable housing is in the extended position, one side of the bed and the closet define a first extended space and the other side of the bed and the side wall opposite from the first side wall define a second extended space. Both the first and second extended spaces are dimensioned to be accessible by the occupant.
In one embodiment, the movement mechanism comprises a carriage that moves the extendable housing. The movement mechanism further comprises a cog that is attached to the carriage and extends into a laterally extending slot defined by the underside of the bed. The slot has a first and a second end and is dimensioned with respect to the cog such that the cog can move laterally between the first and second ends without moving the bed. The movement mechanism further comprises rollers attached to the bottom of the bed to allow lateral rolling motion of the bed when the bed is urged to move laterally by the cog engaging and pushing against one of the ends of the slot.
In one embodiment, the recreational vehicle is a motorhome. In another embodiment, the recreational vehicle is a fifth-wheel trailer. One embodiment of the fifth-wheel trailer includes an upper level and a lower level and a slideout that covers portions of the upper and lower levels and where the bedroom is located on the upper level.
Yet another aspect of the invention relates to an apparatus for moving a bed in a bedroom defined by a main housing and an extendable housing of a recreational vehicle. The apparatus comprises a first means for coupling the extendable housing to the main housing such that the extendable housing can be in a retracted configuration and an extended configuration. The extendable housing moves by a first amount when transitioning between the retracted and extended configurations. The apparatus further comprises a second means for coupling the extendable housing to the bed such that the bed moves by a second amount along the direction of motion of the extendable housing when the extendable housing moves by the first amount.
In one embodiment, the first amount is greater than the second amount. The first means comprises a carriage that allows the extendable housing to move laterally between the retracted configuration and the extended configuration. In one embodiment, the second means comprises a movement mechanism that includes a latching member attached to the carriage, with the latching member adapted to engage the bed at selected instances thereby allowing the bed to move with the extendable housing when the latching member is engaged with the bed. The second means further comprises the bed defining at least one catch adapted to receive the latching member wherein the latching member engaging the catch couples the bed and the extendable housing and wherein the latching member disengaging from the catch uncouples the bed and the extendable housing.
In another embodiment, the second means comprises a movement mechanism that includes a rod member attached to the carriage and extending laterally, with the rod member adapted to engage the bed at selected instances thereby allowing the bed to move with the extendable housing when the rod member is engaged with the bed. The second means further comprises the bed defining a latching member adapted to couple to the rod member at selected instances as the rod member moves laterally. The latching member defines an aperture dimensioned to allow the rod member to extend therethrough. The second means further comprises a first and a second movement limiter attached to the rod member at selected locations such that the first and second limiters limit the relative motion of rod member with the bed. The first and second limiters are positioned so as to allow the bed to be selectively positioned laterally within the bedroom when the extendable housing is retracted and when the extendable housing is extended.
In another embodiment, the second means comprises a movement mechanism that includes a cog that is attached to the carriage and extends into a laterally extending slot defined by the underside of the bed. The slot has a first and a second end and is dimensioned with respect to the cog such that the cog can move laterally between the first and second ends without moving the bed. The movement mechanism further comprises rollers attached to the bottom of the bed to allow lateral rolling motion of the bed when the bed is urged to move laterally by the cog engaging and pushing against one of the ends of the slot. The slot and the cog are configured to allow the bed to be selectively positioned laterally within the bedroom when the extendable housing is retracted and when the extendable housing is extended.